I will be attending Readercon 23 in Burlington, Massachusetts, July 12 – 15. I love Readercon, even though I’ve only been once before, last year (I visited for an afternoon a few years back, too, but that doesn’t really count). This year, I’m part of the programming because I am, as the Readercon emails say, an “estimable literary personage.” (I want that on a t-shirt.) Anyway, here is my schedule for the conference:
FRIDAY
12:00 PM RI At School with Peter Straub. Andy Duncan, Jack Haringa, Nicholas Kaufmann (leader), Caitlín R. Kiernan, John Langan, Paul Tremblay. For the generation of horror writers who came of age in the seventies and eighties, the fiction of Peter Straub has exerted a profound gravitational pull. Glen Hirshberg has spoken of the importance of If You Could See Me Now to his development as a writer of ghost stories. Lee Thomas has acknowledged the influence of Ghost Story on his novel The Dust of Wonderland. Kelly Link has noted the significance of Shadowland to her stories. Laird Barron has written the afterword to the recent Centipede Press edition of Koko, in which he details that novel’s importance to his work. This panel will bring together several writers who have benefited from the example of Straub’s fiction to discuss some of the ways in which his work contributed to theirs.
6:00 PM G What Writers Want. Suzy McKee Charnas, John Crowley, Nicholas Kaufmann, James Patrick Kelly (leader), Nicole Kornher-Stace, Peter Straub. Genre writing is not a career known for its well-defined path. There are goalposts—bestseller lists, movie deals, inspiring reams of fan fiction—but do they sum up all that genre writers aim for? This panel dares to go deeper and uncover authors’ true ambitions, whether they dream of exemplifying or transcending the genre, turning genre itself into art, being named a Grand Master, outselling everyone, or all of these—and to examine how those ambitions might be achieved.
SATURDAY
11:00 AM NH Group Reading: ChiZine Publications. Gemma Files, Nicholas Kaufmann, Nick Mamatas, Yves Meynard, Paul Tremblay. Authors published by ChiZine Publications read from their works.
6:30 PM NH Reading. Nicholas Kaufmann. Nicholas Kaufmann reads from a new fantasy novel that takes place in, around, and under New York City.
Wow, two readings in one day! I’m going to be hoarse on Sunday. Totally worth it, though. I can’t wait for Readercon. Not only is it a great convention filled with “estimable literary personages” and offering one of the best, most interesting and diverse programs in the business, but I have a lot of friends I don’t get to see very often (Jack Haringa, Paul Tremblay, John Langan, F. Brett Cox, JoAnn Cox, Brett Savory, Sandra Kasturi, and so many others) and they’ll all be there. If you’re looking for me and I’m not at one of the events listed above, schmoozing in the bar or the lobby, or hanging out in the dealers room, I’m probably at one of their events.
I will also definitely be at the Shirley Jackson Awards on Sunday at 11:00 AM. The SJA has quickly become my favorite literary award, so I’m always excited about the nominees and winners.
Lastly, I don’t have a scheduled autograph session, but I’ll be happy to sign copies of anything you bring (even things I actually wrote!) after the ChiZine group reading or my own reading on Saturday. Or just catch me anytime in the dealers room, the bar, the lobby, the hallways, wherever. Don’t be shy. I’m friendly, and easily flattered by requests to sign books!
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